NLRP1 is an inflammasome sensor for Toxoplasma gondii.

ABSTRACT: The obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii is able to infect nearly all nucleated cell types of warm-blooded animals. This is achieved through the injection of hundreds of parasite effectors into the host cell cytosol, allowing the parasite to establish a vacuolar niche for growth, replication, and persistence. Here we show that Toxoplasma infection actives an inflammasome response in mice and rats, an innate immune sensing system designed to survey the host cytosol for foreign components leading to inflammation and cell death. Oral infection with Toxoplasma triggers an inflammasome response that is protective to the host, limiting parasite load and dissemination. Toxoplasma infection is sufficient to generate an inflammasome response in germfree animals. Interleukin 1β (IL-1β)

SUBMITTER: Ewald SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3911858 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature